h s e ht eaf is h
y
p ubl
FALL BUCKET LIST CULTURE pg. 11
Oct 13, 2016
ciet
Your University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912.
ing so
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
HUSKIES VOLLEYBALL
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
GENDER BINARY
NEWS
SPORTS
FEATURE
OPINIONS
4
5
8
13
NEWSTYPE PAGE
Lecture on Islamophobia aims to encourage dialogue among students LYNDSAY AFSETH With the increase of tension between Muslim and non-Muslim students on campuses across Canada in the years following the War on Terror, interactions between the two groups are becoming increasingly difficult. Guest lecturer Moustafa Bayoumi is scheduled to speak on Oct. 20 at the University of Saskatchewan to incite open dialogue about these issues in order to begin to resolve them. Due to the recent rise in media coverage of terrorist attacks and Islamophobia, many Muslim students at the U of S feel tension with other students, especially on social media. Outside of media, however, Muslim students see a lack of the meaningful dia-
logue on Islamophobia that is needed in order for understanding and mutual respect to grow. Both the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students’ Association and the organizer of the lecture, Maurice Labelle, are cultivating that dialogue. Wajahat Ahmad, thirdyear business student and president of the AMSA, explains why it is so important for students to take part in this dialogue. “When people don’t know about something, the first reaction they have is to be scared of it. A dialogue is very important because without getting to know people, you are just going to assume whatever you hear in the media or whatever somebody else tells you. The first step to help with the tension in our society right now is to have that open dialogue,” Ahmad said.
Labelle, a history professor at the U of S who specializes in Arab decolonization, organized the event in order to start conversations of reconciliation after the War on Terror and the rise of Islamophobia in the campus community. “Conversations about the Middle East here on campus are important because, quite honestly, they haven’t been taking place,” Labelle said. The lecture will be given by Moustafa Bayoumi, an English professor at the City University of New York. It is titled “How Does It Feel To Be a Problem? Being Muslim During the War on Terror,” and it will take place on Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Biology Building, room 106. “I think … it’s a really provocative title. I think it’s particularly provocative because it encourages every-
one, Muslims and non-Muslims, to engage with empathy,” Labelle said. “The title itself forces individuals, in some way, to try to put themselves in the shoes of those who are the subjects of discriminatory practices.” Bayoumi has published two books, one of which shares the title of his upcoming lecture. This award-winning book, published in the aftermath of 9/11, focuses on how the lives of Muslim Americans changed after the War on Terror began. Labelle believes that Bayoumi will inspire students to engage in this topic. “[He] is a very energetic, very vibrant, very engaging award-winning author — a prominent public intellectual,” Labelle said. Apart from this lecture, the AMSA is also working to
“
When people don’t know about something, the first reaction they have is to be scared of it ... The first step to help with the tension in our society right now is to have that open dialogue.
Neville Elder / Supplied Moustafa Bayoumi is set to dicuss the reality of being Muslim during the War on Terror.
- Wajahat Ahmad, AMSA president
Photography Editor: Jeremy Britz, photo@thesheaf.com
Copy Editor: Larissa Kurz, copy@thesheaf.com
Graphics Editor: Lesia Karalash, graphics@thesheaf.com
Web Editor: Nicholas Kindrachuk, web@thesheaf.com
Editor-in-Chief: Naomi Zurevinski, editor@thesheaf.com
Culture Editor: Bridget Morrison, culture@thesheaf.com
Outreach Director: Sophie Kokott, outreach@thesheaf.com
Layout Manager: Laura Underwood, layout@thesheaf.com
Sports & Health Editor: Staff Writer: sportshealth@thesheaf.com Jack Thompson, staffwriter@thesheaf.com
News Editor: Jessica Klaassen-Wright, news@thesheaf.com
Opinions Editor: Zach Tennent, opinions@thesheaf.com
ciet
p ubl
is h
y
the sheaf
ing so
Board of Directors: Ata Merat, Katherine Fedoroff, Kyra Mazer, Chennoa Tracey, Hasith Andrahennadi Cover Photo: Jeremy Britz, Photo Editor Advertising 306.966.8688 Editorial 306.966.8689
Ad & Business Manager: Shantelle Hrytsak, ads@thesheaf.com
The Sheaf is a non-profit, incorporated and student-body funded partially by way of a direct levy paid by all part and full-time undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Society is open to undergraduate students at the U of S who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libelous material. The Sheaf is published weekly during the academic year and monthly from May through August.
2 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
”
promote discussion by hosting events in which meaningful dialogue is encouraged among students of all religions, allowing students to better relate to and respect each other. Attique Khan, thirdyear business student and vice-president of the AMSA, explains the main goal of these events. “We try to remove the misconception of what is promoted by Islam itself as opposed to what you see from terrorists on the screen,” Khan said. Labelle thinks that the guest lecture will be a good place to start having this open dialogue. “A lot of conversations need to take place, not just about the Middle East, but mostly about the misperceptions involved with how some of us here at the U of S, in Saskatoon and in Saskatchewan more broadly, perceive the Middle East,” Labelle said. Labelle also believes that students at the U of S need to start dealing with these issues, and organizing this lecture is one way to begin the conversation. “Bringing Moustafa’s energy and his personality makes for a really important discussion. This isn’t a talk about someone’s research; this is a talk about how we reconcile not only the past but the present, and how we grapple with ideas of difference. It’s a talk about trying to change how human beings think and how we interact with each other.”
The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city, or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students by students, the staff of editors, photographers, and artists collaborate with volunteers as studentjournalists to produce a product with relevance to the university community. With each composition, the Sheaf stays in touch with students on the U of S campus. It provides unique insight to university issues through a student perspective.
@thesheaf1912 /thesheaf1912 @thesheaf1912
If you would like to contribute to the Sheaf, email editor@thesheaf.com for more information.
corrections There were no errors brought to our attention in our last issue. If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to: copy@thesheaf.com
oct 13, 2016
PAGENEWS TYPE
WE Connect Job Fair: Opportunities for international students NYKOLE KING On Oct. 5, 2016, the Saskatoon Open Door Society hosted its biannual WE Connect Job Fair, an event which works to provide job opportunities for immigrants and refugees, at Mount Royal Collegiate with over 1,500 attendees, including students. SODS is a non-profit, governmentally funded organization that provides settlement, employment and training services to immigrants and refugees. Umar Shahzad, employment counsellor at SODS for the past five years, shares that SODS is proud to provide a recruitment and networking event that displays an array of employers who provide opportunities for newcomers and increase diversity within their company. Shahzad speaks about the importance of having such a job fair. “What are your chances in getting called and having that face-to-face interaction? To have the boss say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to hiring you. In this case, this event, you can already consider yourself shortlisted,” Shahzad said. The International Student and Study Abroad Centre at the University of Saskatchewan alerted students of the event be-
forehand and held an information session to help international students build up experience and learn to showcase skills. Shahzad explains that international students and newcomers face many challenges when looking for jobs in Canada. “Canada is a new country for them — they don’t know anybody, they don’t know about the work ethic, they don’t know how to find a job here. One of the major challenges is language skills,” Shahzad said. Like ISSAC, Open Door arranged to do preworkshops with their clients before the event to ensure they were well equipped for speaking to employers. “We do have different employment services programs going on right now … Some are focusing on customer service positions or administrative positions. Some are for those who have low level English language skills. We have a program for people with disabilities or who have never worked before in their life. We have special programs for high school students who are looking for part time jobs or summer jobs. We do an initial assessment and then, based on the results, we advise [clients] of suitable positions,” Shahzad said. Jake Astillero is a fourth-
year social work student from the University of Regina. Although he attended the event as part of his practicum with the U of S rather than to secure employment, he believes there were opportunities within his field at the fair. “As a social work student, I remember seeing booths with the health region, school board, a variety of others that would fall beneath the field I am in at the moment. Whatever profession you are in, they were able to connect you with future employers,” Astillero said. Various companies and businesses from Saskatchewan attended the recruitment event, totalling 32 exhibitors. From the Saska-
toon Police Force to Winners, there were an assortment of fields to pursue. In addition, a Youth Program fair was set up in the adjacent gym to provide information about student engagement programs. Yurii Dobrystia, an international student in agricultural business, also attended the Job Fair. He is looking for part time work and a summer internship and felt that the fair was excellent because there were exhibitors within his field. “I was surprised when I got an interview invitation right off the fair. In my opinion, international students should use all the opportunities possible and Job Fair is one of them,”
Dobrystia said. According to Shahzad, the WE Connect Job Fair hopes to make it easier for newcomers to network and be comfortable speaking to people in managerial level positions and to showcase a wide variety of jobs, especially ones that are not typically considered. The ultimate goal of the fair is for highly trained newcomers to find local jobs. For Astillero, the job fair left an impression and he was surprised at how successful it was. “It was busy. It was engaging, everyone was really engaged. From those in the booths to those at the event. Everyone was really engaged in learning what everyone has to offer.”
Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor The gym at Mount Royal Collegiate was packed with employers and international students for the Open Door Society’s Job Fair.
Canadian Federation of University Women - Saskatoon
Mammoth Book Sale
October - 20 October 21 18 - 23, 2014 9am to am 8pm- 8:00 everyday 9:00 pm German Cultural Centre (formerly Concordia Club) Cartwright Street and Lorne Ave. For more information, including book donations, contact Alverta @ 360-652-7708
Thank you to our sponsors:
oct 13, 2016
Colin Aldorfer at
www.thesheaf.com
∙ the sheaf publishing society 3
NEWSTYPE PAGE
PSSA leads reconciliation with new Indigenous students’ representative EMILY KLATT Creating a diverse and inclusive campus is an ongoing process at the University of Saskatchewan and one student group is leading the way with the creation of a position specifically designed to advocate for Indigenous perspectives. The Political Studies Students’ Association, in consultation with the Indigenous Students’ Council, has added an Indigenous students’ representative position to its executive this year. The position is designed to act as a liaison between the two groups, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are included in all aspects of the PSSA. The creation of the Indigenous students’ representative follows a forum at the U of S on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, a list that includes 94 recommendations for government institutions on how to move forward and create reparations for the trauma caused to Indigenous people by residential schools.
Dallas Fiddler, second-year political studies student and president of the ISC, says that the PSSA is one of many student groups that approached the ISC about incorporating Indigenous perspectives into their work. “One of the ways a lot of student groups have tried to engage the ISC [is] by creating new positions,” Fiddler said. “I think that really falls under the 94 recommendations, when they’re creating positions for an Indigenous student and allowing that Indigenous dialogue to be introduced.” The ISC represents over 2,200 Indigenous students at the U of S. Although this is only a small percentage of the over 20,000 students that attend the university, Indigenous issues are present in all areas of university life. For David D’Eon, president of the PSSA and third-year political studies student, it is essential to have Indigenous perspectives represented in the PSSA in order to create an inclusive student group. “Creating the Indigenous students’ representative po-
sition is kind of an act to recognize that … it is necessary to include Indigenous voices … in order to have a full and complete conversation about pretty much any topic in Canadian politics,” D’Eon said He acknowledges that, even with the TRC and its recommendations, there is still a long way to go when it comes to creating an equal society. He also emphasizes that the role of organizations and groups like the PSSA is to listen and learn, rather than speak over the voices of Indigenous people. “We have to recognize that Canada is struggling against an incredibly difficult battle with racism,” D’Eon said. “We have to understand that if we’re serious about standing up against racism and we’re serious about standing up against [exclusion], then that needs to begin now, right? So we make these habits of listening and these habits of understanding and collaborating with people so that we know we can become better citizens as we move forward.” The Indigenous students’ representative position on
the PSSA was filled by firstyear political studies student J.C. Steele. Although new to the position, she has already had the opportunity to attend an ISC meeting and raise questions on Indigenous issues for the mayoral debate on Oct. 17. For Steele, the importance of Indigenous issues is something that extends far beyond the university community. “Overall, in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, Indigenous people always feel like they’re one step behind … you look at how disproportionate our criminal justice system is, or poverty rates or currently, new cases of HIV — it’s just that people of Aboriginal descent seem to be hit the hardest, so we need to work the
hardest at helping our people get ahead,” Steele said. The widespread struggles of Indigenous peoples only reinforce Steele’s belief that education and dialogue are key to progress, two things she hopes to accomplish in her role as the Indigenous students’ representative. “The reason this is so important to us, or to me specifically, is because … one of the keys to reconciliation and to overcoming everything Indigenous people have gone through is education, and so our main goal is to just make education as a process — being in university — easier for students and [for them] to feel more welcome and that they actually have a voice here, no matter college they’re in.”
Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor David D’Eon, J.C. Steele and Dallas Fiddler of the PSSA and ISC strive for reconciliation.
Student raises awareness about human trafficking in Saskatchewan GABRIEL SIRIANY LINARES As human trafficking is a criminal offence that still takes place across Canada, affecting individuals and families alike, one student at the University of Saskatchewan is addressing this issue and initiating a discussion. Public Safety Canada defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation and control over a person’s movement in order to exploit them, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour. Statistics Canada states that in 2014, Canadian police services reported 206 violations of human trafficking in Canada, accounting for less than 1 per cent of all police-reported incidents. Between 2009 and 2014, police reported 396 victims of human trafficking, 93 per cent of which were women. In 83 per cent of these cases, the accused were men. Brittney Senger, third-year political studies student, wants to make U of S students aware of the existence of human trafficking in Saskatche-
wan and to give them a better understanding of the issue to help prevent the crime. To do this, Senger organized a public lecture and panel on campus, titled “Neglecting to Protect,” which took place on Oct. 11. The lecture focused on domestic human trafficking, the means by which it can occur and the places from which both victims and survivors can obtain help. Although Senger believes that social media can have a negative effect by placing people in danger of online predators, she also highlights the essential role that social media plays in raising awareness about human trafficking. “Personally, I think it has more positive effects. I think that if you are responsible using social media, you can understand the risks better … I think that the pros outweigh the cons in the sense that it can be great for raising awareness and finding facts,” Senger said. To Senger, there are very clear indicators that human trafficking occurs in Saskatchewan. “I think there is evidence of
human trafficking if you simply look for it. The amount of murdered and missing Indigenous people is appalling and we can’t just assume that they’re just disappearing. [There is] obviously … something going on behind it … if we don’t address it, it’s not going to get any better,” Senger said.
receiving either little or no pay … if they’re on a trip and [have] little or no baggage … if it’s like a child,” Dornstauder said. Dornstauder recommends that students who directly or indirectly witness human trafficking should first contact the police. She also recommends outreach programs
Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor
Lorna Dornstauder, a corporal with the RCMP in the Integrated Organized Crime North Unit and speaker at the lecture, explains strategies to recognize a subject of human trafficking. “There’re some really obvious ones where the person doesn’t have either their own passport or their own identification, where they are working very, very, long hours and
4 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
such as Saskatoon’s Egadz and Edmonton’s Chrysalis, non-profit organizations that provide programs and services to youth and families to improve their quality of life. Senger hopes that students will understand that human trafficking is a terrible and ubiquitous crime and that the stepping stone to fight it is to acknowledge that it happens and to bring forward a discus-
sion about the issue. “I really hope that people will start to pay attention to the issue and honestly, I just hope that it will open up a conversation, and I hope that people will have less prejudice towards people they see on the streets. Maybe understand a bit more how they got there and their situation … but it’s important that people understand that it happens to people who are vulnerable … and it really could happen to anyone,” she said. Dornstauder agrees wholeheartedly with Senger. “I hope [students] understand a little more about human trafficking and maybe, if they do see something, hear something that they think is odd or out of place … call the police or they offer that person help and make a change,” Dornstauder said. “Anyone who is a survivor, I applaud them. Actually, I would applaud any of the students who come to this presentation because it shows that they are interested in becoming involved and maybe being part of a solution to a worldwide issue.” oct 13, 2016
SPORTSPAGE & HEALTH TYPE
Huskies volleyball teams prepare for the upcoming season JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer
The volleyball regular season is right around the corner and both the men’s and women’s teams at the University of Saskatchewan are set to put their off-season and preseason training in the to the test. The volleyball season runs from October through February. Most of October will be spent in exhibition games, with both teams sharing a home opening and a season opening weekend of games against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Over the course of this weekend, the Huskies will each play two games against the respective Thunderbirds’ teams, with the women’s games starting at 6 p.m. followed by the men’s games at 8 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 29. Last season saw the women’s team go 10–14 in the regular season and the Huskies men’s team go 15–9. The men’s team also had an impressive home record of 10–2, which will make for a promising performance when they open up their season in their home gym against UBC. Mark Dodds, head coach for the Huskies women’s team, is excited to get into the season and outlined what fans can expect from the team this year. “Progression — last year we had a pretty good season and my expectations are that it’s gonna get better this season. We gained some depth on our team but then also all the returning players are another year older,” Dodds said. Emily Humbert plays middle blocker for the team and is a fifth-year with a kinesiology degree who just entered education. She shared what she is most excited for going into the regular season. “Our level of competition. I think we’re going to be really competitive again this year and we’re on a hunt for playoffs. We’ve got a whole bunch of girls working towards that same common goal so we’re really excited about that,” Humbert said. Emmalyn Copping plays outside hitter and is in her fifth-year of arts and science with a major in anthropolooct 13, 2016
gy. She outlined that there are some new aspects of the team for fans to get excited about. “We have six newcomers to our team. They add some great depth to our team. We have a lot of great athletes and I think that attitudes as well as skill are going to be great for our overall outcome this year,” Copping said. The men's teams added a special component to their off-season training this year. Players Andrew Nelson, a fifth-year kinesiology major who plays right side, and Tyler Epp, a sixth-year kinesiology student who is a middle blocker, discussed the trip. “We went for 10 days to Japan right before the season started. It was quite the experience — Japan [is] obviously a very unique culture,” Nelson said. Epp added to that, stating that the culture in Japan has formed how they play volleyball. “They do things very differently. It’s unique to be able to see how they live and how they play the sport that we play,” Epp said. Nelson added on, agreeing with Epp. “They’re a lot more structured in their volleyball practices and we definitely learned to adapt some of that into our practices,” Nelson said. The men’s volleyball team hopes to use this experience, as well as the rest of their training, in their first true test of the season against UBC. This weekend of volleyball will be Huskies fans’ first chance to see their teams in action. For the women’s team, looking towards the upcoming games is about all members of the team playing to their best ability. “Volleyball is very unique. It’s a true team sport — to compare to basketball where one player, say Lebron James, can sort of take over a game and control the game. Volleyball is very different. You need all of your players on the court to contribute and be a part of the success,” Dodds said. Dodds adds that the women’s team will be a major contender against any other team they play and that the games will be well worth the watch. For more information on the volleyball teams and game times, head to huskies.usask. ca.
Josh Schaefer / Supplied The Huskies men’s volleyball team for the 2016-17 season.
Were you a French Immersion Student? Did you know...
French immersion students can enter DIRECTLY into FREN 212.3
The prerequisite(FREN 125) is not required in your situation.
Check out our FREN 212 option for Term two:
23316 FREN 212 62 Advanced French Expression I MWF 9:30-10:20 REGISTER THROUGH PAWS
or call 306-966-8900
stmcollege.ca
www.thesheaf.com
∙ the sheaf publishing society 5
PAGE TYPE
6 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
oct 13, 2016
PAGE TYPE CULTURE
Easy DIY self-care products to try at home SYDNEY BOULTON School, work and other stressful, time-consuming activities can make it difficult to find time for yourself. However, these DIY self-care products make it easy and affordable to give your mind and body a well-deserved break. If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, make yourself feel and look healthier or just have a good time, then a spa day might be just what you need! Everyone loves a spa day, but on a student budget it’s nearly impossible to spend hundreds of dollars just to pamper yourself at a professional spa — even an at-home spa day can be expensive. Stores like Lush and Bath & Body Works sell simple products like face masks and body scrubs for upwards of $25. Instead, these three budget-conscious DIY products provide a safe and inexpensive alternative to in-store products. 1. If you’re looking to give your face a little extra glow
oct 13, 2016
try this exfoliating aloe and green tea face scrub. To make it, all you need is one third of a cup of coconut oil, one quarter of a cup sugar, one tablespoon aloe vera gel and two green tea bags — with an optional three to four drops of vitamin E oil or five to six drops of tea tree essential oil. Mix the coconut oil, sugar and aloe vera in a small bowl and then add the green tea. Cut open the tea bags and add the crushed tea leaves to the bowl and mix until everything is smooth and evenly combined. For more scrubbing power, add more sugar or less coconut oil. To use the scrub, scoop some onto your fingers and massage gently all over your face — be careful and avoid your eyes! In comparison to Lush’s Ocean Salt and Face Body Scrub, which costs $22, the cost to make this at home ranges from $0 to $10. 2. If you want to make your hair shiny, supple and smooth, try this moisturizing hair mask! This recipe is ex-
tremely simple to make and all you need are four basic ingredients: two tablespoons coconut oil, one tablespoon honey, one tablespoon cornstarch and one tablespoon Greek yogurt. Mix these ingredients in a bowl until combined and work into your hair and scalp, then rinse your hair with cool water. Still continue to shampoo and condition your hair as usual. For longer or thicker hair you can double the recipe — either way, this will give your hair some extra shine and moisture!
At home, this recipe can cost anywhere from $0 to $15 in comparison to Lush’s H’suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment product, which costs $22. 3. To help ease the stress of exams and bring a little relaxation into your day, try these scented bath salts. Start with two parts Epsom salt and one part baking soda to make the base. Mix the bath salt base in a bowl, and then add an essential oil of your choice, such as peppermint or lavender — add about five to six drops for every cup of your base mixture. If you want to make it look a little fancier you can add some Shamille Sarcauga food colouring, as
www.thesheaf.com
Shamille Sarcauga
this recipe is easily adaptable. To make these scented bath salts at home, costs range from $0 to $10 in comparison to purchasing Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla Bath Soak, which costs $16. The costs listed at the end of each recipe are based on purchasing the ingredients in bulk — which means you would have enough ingredients to make the product many times! The prices were based on products purchased from Walmart or Amazon. In addition to these products being easy and fun to make, they are a great way to practice selfcare in your busy life as a student!
∙ the sheaf publishing society 7
FEATURE
Decision 2016: The Saskatoon municipal election is coming up on Oct. 26. To help University of Saskatchewan students make up their minds, I spoke individually with the mayoral candidates about their platforms, their relationship to students and the importance of university voices in civic politics. I reached out to all four mayoral candidates for interviews, hearing back from all but incumbent Mayor Don Atchison. In the interest of non-
Student engagement and interaction are key to the Clark campaign. “I’ve valued having a close relationship with the [U of S Students’ Union] and with students in my time as a city councillor,” Clark said. “I’ve come to the university repeatedly and tried to engage and push students to get involved and I really see how crucial it is that the university and university students feel more connected to what happens at the City, because it’s so crucial that graduates from the U of S decide to choose Saskatoon as the place to live.” Clark’s plan to engage students also involves maintaining this direct contact. “I’ve already talked to a number of students about having biannual meetings with the mayor — or quarterly or whatever it might be — so that the Mayor’s Office and the student body are in dialogue and talking about how we can build a stronger, better city,” Clark said. When it comes to attracting young voters, Hein takes a hardline stance on taxes and student wallets. “Primarily, I’m offering to make sure that the city’s taxes are not going to go up and result in about a $50 a month increase in their rent or condo fees or property tax,” Hein said. “A lot of students are affected by rent, and when the city’s property taxes go up, inevitably the landlords will have to pass those costs along to the people that are renting.” Connection with students is also an important aspect of the Moore campaign. “I will be on the ground with the students, listening to their concerns,” Moore said. “As mayor, you need to represent all of the people and understand their circumstances, needs, hopes and aspirations. We invest in the students because, one, they are our future, but we’re all our present and we need to be including all of the ideas, all of the experiences
Devon Hein / Supplied Mayoral candidate Devon Hein.
The Sheaf sits down with mayoral candidates
partisanship, I’ll introduce and discuss the candidates in alphabetical order. First up is Charlie Clark, a Saskatoon city councillor for the last decade. Next is Devon Hein, a self-described political consultant. Third is Kelley Moore, a urban and regional planner. When it came to attracting U of S students and young voters, the candidates all offered an assessment of their strengths and strategies.
ZACH TENNENT
Opinions Editor
Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor Mayoral candidate Kelley Moore, pictured right.
from different age demographics, different socio-economic and different professional backgrounds to come up with better plans. That has really rooted our company, Prairie Wild Consulting, for years in the university and in the student population, so I’m not trying to engage the students. I’m just being who I am.” I offered the candidates a chance to outline the broad strokes of their campaigns and the goals they had set for themselves. “I really believe Saskatoon is at this very crucial tipping point where we’re at a quarter of a million people and we’re growing later than a lot of other cities and we’re becoming much more diverse as a city,” Clark said. “The whole conversation about inclusion, reconciliation and figuring out what it’s going to take to create a city that creates opportunity for everybody regardless of your background, who you choose to love, which country you come from, what faith you have — Saskatoon has a chance to really lead in showing how you can build a truly diverse city.” Taxes are one of the issues dearest to Hein. “My co-candidates are all offering big spending plans, even though they’re suggesting they’re fiscally restrained in their programs and that they’ll try to manage City Hall better, all of their plans are very, very expensive,” Hein said. “By holding the line on taxes and being fiscally restrained and practicing sound economic practices at City Hall, there’s no need to raise taxes.” Moore spoke to the importance of growth management. “We need to fundamentally change how we grow in this city and by doing that, we’ll be able to invest in transit, we’ll be able to create a more sustainable city, and it’ll create more efficiency at City Hall so we can free up more tax dollars so we can invest in more services,”
8 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
Moore said. Issues of crime in Saskatoon struck a chord with all candidates. Charlie Clark explained the complexity of crime in the city. “What we’ve learned is there are better ways to organize our systems to address mental health, addictions, homelessness, crime and safety,” Clark said. “We just have to focus on getting that done. The mental health and criminal justice system and social services and police are all siloed in the way they are dealing with things, and when you have silos, people just fall in the cracks between them. I’ve seen, through the plan to end homelessness, that when we actually co-ordinate this expertise and take a case management approach to people that are struggling.” Hein noted that crime reduction is vital. “Making sure that crime is reduced in the city, that the city’s focused on issues like that will help students as well, who at times I think are vulnerable on campus,” Hein said. “Focusing on those issues can help the students and the campus directly. Everything from bicycles to people that are looking for opportunities to take something from someone.” Moore explained her prior experiences in reducing crime. “I’m trained in crime prevention through environmental design, looking at how to change the design of a community — even built environments — to prevent the opportunity for crime,” Moore said. Moore is also calling for a crime commission. “In terms of the severity of crime index, we are the highest and we have been for a while now. We also have high property crime. In 2003, when Mr. Atchison became mayor, we were the crime capital of Canada and in 2016, when he’s seeking his fifth and record term, we’re still the crime capital of Canada.” oct 13, 2016
PAGE TYPE FEATURE When the subject of transit was brought up, the candidates showed divergent goals and concerns. Clark cited his prior successes with active transit as a city councillor as evidence of his commitment to transportation in the city. “I’ve learned a lot about the city and I know what our strengths are and what our weaknesses are, and I’ve learned what it takes to actually create change,” Clark said. “I’ve done it on active transportation. We’ve moved those conversations a lot in the last 10 years. So I decided I wanted to run for mayor to build on that and build on all the work I’ve done.” Relating his goal of no tax increases, Hein seemed focused on minimizing costs surrounding transit. “My co-candidates have plans to manage or create new studies and committees to deal with transit but they don’t really want to take any action,” Hein said. “What I’m suggesting is, for things like transit, is we make sure we focus the city’s budget on taking care of those kinds of infrastructure issues properly and not just waste money on big projects that are going to cost lots of money that are unnecessary services.” Moore mentioned her commitment to bring a swift end to contract negotiations between transit and the city. “At the end of the day, the only people we’re hurting by not having a resolution is the people that rely on transit — students, seniors, people with disabilities, those with low income,” Moore said. Being that he never got back to me, I gleefully gave candidates a chance to take pot shots at Mayor Atchison — something that came as a challenge to none. “The reason I’m running against him is I’ve seen that he’s not engaged on the issues that we need to be engaged on to make sure Saskatoon succeeds, and he’s shown that recently on a number of different cases where tough situations have arisen, like that Meewasin Valley Authority funding cuts, like the transit negotiations, like crime statistics,” Clark said. “In each case, rather than saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to help lead the way of making sure we address these challenges,’ he’s passed the buck or shirked responsibility.” Hein criticized Atchison’s insider nature, as well as that of Moore and Clark. “The big thing that’s going to become obvious is I’m promoting a respect for voters, for taxpayers that my co-candidates aren’t doing. They’re really representing a lot of spending, creating a lot of dependencies on City Hall. Being a dark horse gives me that
ability to release a plan at a later date and respond to the platforms of the other candidates,” he said. Moore challenged Atchison’s re-election goal of increased population downtown. “He’s had 13 years to make his dream of seeing the population of downtown increase to 10,000 and he has fallen way short,” Moore said. “We haven’t even reached 1,000 in that time. Instead, we’ve been growing on the outskirts which makes it extremely difficult to see the investment, both in the downtown and in other infill areas. So I’ve released my plan for growth, which includes incentivizing development downtown. That is what I’m really disappointed with, both Mr. Clark and Mr. Atchison, is they really missed the point and now want to fix it.” When it came to closing remarks, the candidates offered optimistic goals and sentiments. Clark cited his eagerness to continue to serve the city. “I’m offering a very different approach based on a track record and I’m excited about taking to the next level a lot of the things that I’ve worked very hard to have come to pass, like the active transportation plan, like the growing forward plan and bus rapid transit, like homelessness and expanding our addressing of crime and safety, like reconciliation and building a much more inclusive city,” Clark said. Hein spoke of his plans to share more about his
candidacy as the election nears. “What I’m going to do in the next roughly three weeks here is release the details of the plans that I have and those details are going to benefit people like students directly,” Hein said. “The biggest closing remark I can have is students represent very important future residents of Saskatoon and I really would like to express the fact that my co-candidates will cost people who are attending university in very dear ways because of the increase of cost they’re proposing.” Moore said making Saskatoon a viable place to live for students is of high importance. “Predominantly, we’re seeing talent that is coming from this university leave our province and leave our city and I am committed to changing that. I believe how you do that is by investing in entrepreneurship and business opportunities. The city has land, the city has spaces and what people need are nooks and crannies to foster creativity, to foster ideas, to give people incentive to say, ‘Before I leave, I want to stay in Saskatoon because I know my ideas, my creativity, my innovations are valued here.’” Students can learn more about the candidates and their platforms at Charlieclarkformayor.ca, Hein4mayor.ca and Moore4mayor.ca. Students can also vote in advance on Oct. 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lower Place Riel.
Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor Mayoral candidate Charlie Clark, pictured right.
*voting statistics colected through thesheaf.com during october 2016. These statistics are specific to the U of S and how students plan to vote. Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor
oct 13, 2016
www.thesheaf.com
∙ the sheaf publishing society 9
CULTURE
Make it through midterms: Study tips to ace your exams BRIDGET MORRISON Culture Editor
In addition to essays and assignments, midterm season gifts students with exams upon exams and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. With so much on the go and your stress levels in over-drive, the Sheaf has put together some midterm study tips to
help you make it through these trying times. First on the list of tips is to take a break from studying when needed and exercise. Sitting for hours is not only hard on your mind but also on your body. When you feel restless and just can’t concentrate anymore, take a break and get your body moving. Go for a run, to a dance class, to the gym or just dance around in your room for a little awhile. Of course, in the midst
of exams it feels difficult to take away from your studying time. However, even going for a 15-minute walk around the library or campus is a great way to fit in a little exercise and take a break from studying and sitting. Next on the list of midterm studying tips is to find a study buddy. Although everyone studies differently, a highly effective way to learn your class material is to talk through it aloud with a classmate. Reach out to
Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor
others in your class, or send a mass email and ask if anyone wants to form a study group — most of the time, there are a couple of people who would love to do this. If you are feeling too shy to ask a classmate, ask a friend or family member — and if they say no, resort to reading your notes aloud on your own. It may sound weird, but I find it extremely helpful, so hopefully you do too. Third on the list is to take one thing at a time and mindfully concentrate on it. Whether your essay or exam is more time pressing, know what to prioritize and concentrate on it the most for either that day or the allotted time you have assigned it. Be adaptive to your stress and anxiety by bringing focus to your work and getting things done. There is no better way to tackle stress about midterms than to study — it’s as simple as that. Fourth on the list is to find or create an awesome study playlist. If you don’t feel like creating your own playlist, it’s as simple as searching for one — literally. Anything from instrumental to classic to rock, 8tracks.com is a great option for finding a study playlist online. You can search tag words that
best suit the type of music you’d like, so you can find the best playlist for you. If you feel like being a bit more creative or are picky about the tunes you listen to, try making your own study playlist. Just be careful, don’t pick music that will distract you from studying and leave you dancing around your house for a couple of hours. Last on the list of study tips is to find a place to study with minimal distractions. When studying at home, I often find myself wondering whether the fridge or DVD shelf has been cleaned or organized recently. Of course, I then have to indulge this thought, so I go and check on whatever it was I was thinking about and even if it isn’t that messy, I’ll clean it. Next thing you know, it’s hours later and the house is the cleanest it’s ever been, but you’ve made no progress on your school work. The point is, there are a lot of distractions that will either find you or that you will find when studying — so it’s best to find somewhere where you can study with minimal distraction. Good luck on your midterms and happy studying!
Zachary Lucky to hit Saskatoon along new concert tour JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer
Saskatoon-born Zachary Lucky has been in the local music scene for quite a while, and with his newest concert tour, he will be making a stop in his hometown. Zachary Lucky’s solo career has been underway since 2010, which began after his departure from the band We Were Lovers. Lucky is now a solo folk artist and just released his fourth album since starting off his solo career. This album, Everywhere a Man Can Be, is the first album he has released since the 2013 release of The Ballad of Losing You. Everywhere a Man Can Be is a collection of largely autobiographical story songs. Featuring a track list of nine songs, the titular song “Everywhere a Man Can Be” is a recounting of life on the road. In this track, Lucky’s
deep voice is accompanied by a slow progression of chords as he details his travels across Canada. Preceding that track is “Sell All You Have,” a somber track in which the lyrics outline the hard decisions that can be found in life, such as selling all you have to get by or to pay your bills. Another interesting track from the album is “South Colorado Murder Ballad,” which tells a tale of love and loss that ends in a bar fight scene, which is brought to life so well by Lucky. Each of the tracks on the album utilizes Lucky’s deep vocals to bring an oddly comforting, somber air to the songs. Listening through the album feels like a trip through different pieces of a life full of travel and experience. Each time a song uses a familiar Canadian setting, Lucky brings it to life with details that serve to create his own unique depth of story telling. Overall, Lucky uses Everywhere a Man Can Be as a platform to tell
country tales from his own life and those he has met. “To me, this record is a bit of a bookend to the past six or seven years touring around Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Touring [is] really hard and [I’ve been] working really hard playing 160 – 200 shows a year. In the past three years that’s sort of changed, it’s slowed down a lot. I had a kid and got moved around a little bit and started to put down some roots,” Lucky said. Lucky went on to say that the album also serves as a nostalgic reflection of where life has brought him. This especially comes out in the song “Come and Gone,” in which Lucky directly addresses the topic of reflection on his time on tour. While this album looks at past events, it also brings with it something new for both Lucky and for his fans to look forward to. “This is the first time that I’ve actually got a full band behind me on the road. We’re a five piece band playing these songs,” Lucky said.
10 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
According to Lucky, more instruments generally make for more sound. “It’s gonna be a little bit different than a normal Zachary Lucky show that people have been to in Saskatoon before. Little bit louder, a little bit more rocky and I think it’s going to be a good time,” he said. Those looking to get
their own copy of the album can order a physical or digital copy through Lucky’s bandcamp page. The album is also available on Spotify, iTunes and at his shows. Lucky will be playing at Village Guitar & Amp Co. in Saskatoon on Oct. 16. Tickets are $16.50 in advance and $20 at the door.
Jason Schneider / Supplied Fans of Zachary Lucky can expect something new at his upcoming show in Saskatoon.
oct 13, 2016
PAGE TYPE CULTURE
Fall festivities ripe for harvest:
A student's fall bucket list LAUREN KLASSEN Saskatoon has many affordable and free events to offer University of Saskatchewan students this fall — from food to Halloween events, the Sheaf has put together a fall bucket list to get students out in the community and taking a break from their studies. Halloween events Saskatoon holds various events to spread the Halloween spirit, but two of these in particular are a must-see and do on the Sheaf’s fall bucket list. First up is the Haunted House at 1402 Fifth Avenue North, which can be seen from Warman Road. This haunted house is run by Adam Krutki, is free to attend and has already opened for the Halloween season and will run until Oct. 31. This is a good option for the faint-of-heart as it’s not as terrifying as other haunted houses may be. Second is the Hampton Village Haunted Asylum. Again, this is a student friendly option as it’s free of charge to attend, although cash donations for the Dundonald Parent Council are accepted. The Haunted Asylum is located at 3259 McClocklin Road and will be running from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31.
Fall eats Saskatoon has an abundance of tasteful cafés, where hot drinks and yummy snacks can be enjoyed. Amidst the fall weather, a perfect place to enjoy a nice warm drink is the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Whether a London fog, hot chocolate or just a good old black coffee, the Farmers’ Market has lots of options. Not only do you get to be down by the beautiful river, you get to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Market. If you like to be in the busyness of it all, it’s best to go on a Saturday — you won’t be short of produce to buy and people to watch. However, if you prefer a more peaceful and quiet day at the Market, it’s best to go on Wednesdays when you can watch the leaves blow in the wind and enjoy the silence. If you’re up to it, try tackling a fall recipe yourself, such as butterscotch pumpkin bark. This simple recipe only takes four ingredients: pumpkin spice candy melts, butterscotch chips and chopped nuts, as well as your choice of festive sprinkles. The recipe can be found on freshaprilflours. com and is a perfect snack for cuddling up and watching a movie at home. The community This fall, Saskatoon has various events offered to
the public that bring together the great community that we live in. One of these events is Tonight It’s Poetry. Tonight It’s Poetry is a slam poetry night where people can perform their poems or spoken word, capturing their emotion and stories of varying subjects, and even compete for the slam poet championship. If you aren’t comfortable reading your own work, you can always just go and listen. Community stages are held at Amigos with a $5 admission fee. The next community stage will be Oct. 16 and is definitely worth checking out. Another event on the bucket list is the second annual Fall Fest at The Glen at Crossmount. This event has something for everyone — from vendors, a cider bar, horse and carriage rides, a hay maze and pumpkins for sale and to carve, there is bound to be something that sparks your interest. The event is free of admission and is on Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Glen at Crossmount building at 10 Glen Road, Crossmount. Take advantage of the events this season offers you. Soon it will be winter and the cold will put a sheet of snow over your bucket list — get out and enjoy. Happy fall!
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
upcoming events • A Night with Sinatra at TCU Place • Del Barber at Village Guitar & Amp Co. • DJ Brace at O’Brians Event Centre • Skye Wallace with Hot Panda, Old Cabin, 36? and Pony Girl at Vangelis • Stephen Fearing at the Bassment
Thursday
friday
saturday
• Conor Coughlan with Cidne Treen at the Underground Cafe • Coteau Books Fall Launch at the Glen at Crossmount • C. R. Avery with Old Joe & The Truth Hurts and Robert Halls at Vangelis • The Garrys, Man Meat, Quinzee Town and Sad Buckets for FM-Phasis 2016 Fundraiser Show at Amigos • Oral Fuentes at the Capitol Music Club
• A21 Walk for Freedom at River Landing Amphitheatre • Chronobot with Woodhawk and Oxeneer at Vangelis • Last day of the USSU’s Queerapalooza Pride Week at the U of S • League of Wolves, Public Animals and the Buzzardine for FM-Phasis 2016 Fundraiser Show at Amigos
• Laila Biali Trio at the Bassment • Last day of multiple exhibits at the Centre East Galleries • Last day of Richelle Bergen’s Exhibition at Wildflower Home & Botanical • Zachary Lucky at Village Guitar & Amp Co.
sunday
• Blues Society presents Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Alter Boys at Vangelis • Harpdog Brown at the Bassment • Lady Bits Improv Comedy Collective at Amigos • 2016 Métis Economic Development Forum at the Western Development Museum
monday
• Jill and Matt Barber at the Broadway Theatre • Merival with guests at Vangelis
tuesday
Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor The city of Saskatoon offers Univeristy of Saskatchewan students great fall opportunities and events to attend.
oct 13, 2016
• First day of Blind Date at Persephone Theatre • Lt. Frank Dickens with guests at Vangelis • The Lovelocks at the Bassment
wednesday
www.thesheaf.com
∙ the sheaf publishing society 11
OPINIONS
Romance for education: Sugar daddies and the student debt problem KAY-LYNNE COLLIER With tuition costs at the highest they’ve ever been, students are seeking ways to fund their university education, sometimes by any means possible. Could sugar daddies and mommies be the solution to student debt woes? A sugar daddy, according to seekingarrangement.com — the number one registry for people looking for these types of relationships — is defined as, “Successful men and women who know what they want. They’re driven and enjoy attractive company by their side. Money isn’t an issue, thus they are generous when it comes to supporting a sugar baby.” Basically, a sugar daddy is a well-off, usually older person who offers up an “allowance” to a usually younger person looking to improve their financial situation. Sugar daddies can also sometimes offer guidance and in a
lot of cases, the relationship between a sugar daddy and a sugar baby is romantic and long-term in nature. This is where this kind of relationship is different from sex work. Although the lines can often be blurred, most of the time a sugar daddy/sugar baby dynamic is relationship-based, while sex work is transactional and usually doesn’t result in a long-term romantic relationship. I am personally for sex and relationship positivity, so to me, as long as both parties are happy and no one is feeling manipulated, then the relationship can be just as healthy as any other one. However, I do believe that the chances of abuse in this type of relationship can be high. I think that just the notion that women can be a commodity, can be bought and sold, is very degrading, especially when some of these women who enter these relationships aren’t doing it because they want
to, but rather out of necessity. Honestly, I’ve considered sex work before to pay for my tuition, extremely fleetingly. I certainly do not believe that sex work is morally wrong. However, that type of relationship inherently places the sugar daddy at the top and creates an imbalanced power dynamic. For example, a sugar daddy could demand sex of a sugar baby just because he gave her money, took her on an exotic vacation or bought her jewellery. The sugar daddy in that situation is then using his wealth to manipulate women into sexual encounters, regardless of whether those women actually want to be intimate with them. That is rape. That is sexual assault. I’m weary of those types of situations. It seems the sugar baby is in less of a mutual relationship, and more like a part-time job where they’re expected to be there for their sugar daddy at a moment’s
notice because they have that financial leverage over their heads. That is extremely wrong, and I wonder how much this occurs in comparison to healthy sugar daddy/sugar baby relationships. Regardless of the question of ethics when it comes to these relationships, according to seekingarrangement. com, the University of Saskatchewan ranks 13th in the country for use of their site, and also for the growth in user registration over the years. In 2013, 78 U of S students registered for the site, which has more than likely grown in recent years, especially as tuition continues to climb. Is this a viable alternative to racking up debt in student loans? It could be. I think that it all depends on what you are personally willing to do to get money for your schooling quickly. I think the more important question, though, is why should students feel the
need to get a sugar daddy? Everyone knows that funding your education is next to impossible without outside help nowadays. If tuition rates are lowered and made affordable for more people, I believe we would see a decline in students seeking these types of relationships. Until our government wakes up and realizes that everyone should be able to afford the opportunity for a quality education, some students will always be forced to trade their bodies and romantic interests for the bettering of their minds, and that is a reality that we need to face.
Shamille Sarcauga
VOTERS’ GUIDE Available at Saskatoon Public Libraries, Leisure Centres, City Hall and online at saskatoon.ca/ election2016.
The Guide contains information on:
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2016 POLLS OPEN 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
A VOICE FOR EVERY VOTER MAYOR • COUNCILLORS PUBLIC AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES Post-secondary students who are new to Saskatoon are able to vote if, on the day of the election: a) they are a Canadian citizen; b) they are at least 18 years of age; c) they provide acceptable identification.
FIND OUT WHERE YOU WILL VOTE ON ELECTION DAY: Enter your home address in the Online Poll Finder at saskatoon.ca/election2016 to easily find your voting location.
12 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
• • • • • •
Who can Vote Where to Vote When to Vote Candidates’ List Ward Maps and Poll Locations Candidate Profiles
ADVANCE POLLS – U OF S, PLACE RIEL Advance Polls at the University of Saskatchewan are on October 17 and 18, 2016, 9:00 am-4:00 pm at Place Riel, 1 Campus Drive. *If your 18th birthday is after October 18, but on or before October 26, you are able to vote at the Advance Polls.
RIDE SASKATOON TRANSIT FOR FREE ON ELECTION DAY! Find your free Saskatoon Transit Pass in the Voters’ Guide, and at Saskatoon Public Libraries, Leisure Centres, and City Hall Info Desk.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Call 306-975-3240 or visit
saskatoon.ca/election2016
oct 13, 2016
PAGE TYPE OPINIONS
Peterson’s views on the gender binary outdated and unwelcome LOGAN HUARD A University of Toronto psychology professor is facing pushback after challenging the concepts of gender fluidity and political correctness. Despite his confidence, Peterson’s views are nothing short of ignorant and sensational. On Sept. 27, 2016 Jordan Peterson of the U of T released a YouTube video lecture expressing his denial of gender fluidity and the existence of non-binary genders. “I don’t think that that’s a valid idea. I don’t think there’s any evidence for it,” Peterson said regarding non-binary identities, going as far as to add, “I don’t recognize another person’s right to determine what pronouns I used to address them. I won’t do it.” It is clear that this man is acting out of fear — fear of change, of his view point being challenged, of being made uncomfortable and of the inconvenience of changing his teaching style. In his first of three videos
on political correctness, Peterson brings up a conversation he had with an American colleague in which they explained they’re forced to self-censor themselves due to the fear for persecution, which inevitably led to them feeling like they’re not able to teach to their full capacities. Censorship by the state, institutions and the individual are common ways to argue against political correctness. These are extraordinarily weak arguments for three reasons. First off, if there is a word that is deemed unacceptable there is probably a better word to use or a better context to use it in without jeopardizing the point you are making and still being politically correct. Secondly, if you’re scared that what you’re teaching in your lectures may constitute hate speech, perhaps it's a good thing that you are forced to mull over its validity before saying it. Lastly, it comes down to privilege. The chances are that, as a man — especially one who will not even ac-
knowledge the realness of gender fluidity — Peterson has never had the experience of being misgendered. As a seemingly cisgendered straight man, he has never had his identity denied, invalidated or challenged rather than merely accepted. Peterson also seems to be acting out of ignorance with the way he talks about those who are most affected by “politically incorrect” people like him. He’s not very sophisticated in his rhetoric surrounding non-binary issues. When reading policy and legislation from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Peterson is thrown off by the use of “their” in a singular context, expressing that the author either was either unintelligent or careless. In reality, it’s Peterson who didn’t do his homework, or he would have recognized that the Oxford English Dictionary has added they/their onto their list for singular pronouns. He also claims that he does not understand how
someone can identify as neither gender and that he is confused on how you can be both as they are the antithesis of one another. Peterson even goes as far as to say that there are and have only ever been two biological sexes. Peterson’s claim that the binary exists is factually wrong. According to the Intersex Society of North America, one out of every 1,666 people are neither XX nor XY and one in 1,000 people are XXY intersex. When Peterson is confused about what a person that is neither genders could be, the word he was looking for is agendered.
Conversely, bi-gendered is when someone’s gender identity contains both male and female. It seems pretty blatant that ignorance and fear are what are driving Peterson's perspective. Like most people who cry out about — as he puts it — the Marxist left’s political correctness and censorship, he avoids showing that he is actually just scared of change, leading him to scapegoat the blame for his concerns to the false erosion of free speech. Just because Peterson doesn’t think he’s a bigoted person doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t either.
Gratisography.com / Supplied Peterson’s war on political correctness is off to a rough start.
Just like a pill: Study linking birth control and depression a call for critical thinking EMILY KLATT
Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor
A Sept. 28 study linked the use of hormonal birth control to the development of depression in women, and the media was quick to relate the two. While it’s easy to accept these headlines as the absolute truth, the release of this study is anything but conclusive. The study was conducted in Denmark and published in the medical research journal JAMA Psychiatry, tracking, among many things, the usage of hormonal contraceptives, the redemption of a prescription for antidepressants and the first diagnosis of a depressive disorder. After a 14 year period, oct 13, 2016
the study reported a potential increased risk for depression in women taking hormonal birth control, a group of medications that includes oral pills, patches, vaginal rings and hormone injections. News outlets were quick to jump on the subject, with many reporting that birth control users had anywhere between a 40 and 80 per cent increased chance of developing depression. However, most news outlets did not give a full report of the study’s findings or the nuances of scientific experiments, which can misinform or scare readers. The study measured “depression” in individuals based on two criteria — the filling of a prescription for antidepressants or a diagnosis of depression at a psychiatric hospital. These are two very specific criteria. What about that 80 per cent number? An article from National Public Radio does a great job of breaking
it down: “Several news stories reported an 80 per cent increase in risk of depression in some groups of women, but few noted that was relative risk, which is an expression of proportional increase. An 80 per cent relative risk does not mean that 80 per cent of women taking hormonal birth control develop depression. It means that if 10 women not taking hormonal birth control develop depression, then 18 women on the birth control will develop depression.” Also, this relative risk was only for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 that were taking a combined oral contraceptive and this increased risk was only for the chance they’ll end up taking antidepressants. Antidepressant is a category of medications that are prescribed for many things, including anxiety, OCD and eating disorders in addition to depression. So just because someone
has a prescription doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily depressed. If you look at the absolute risks of the study, the findings are much less shocking. Again, NPR does a good job of breaking it down: “Among women not taking hormonal birth control, 1.7 per cent took antidepressants and 0.28 per cent received a depression diagnosis at a psychiatric hospital. By comparison, 2.2 per cent of women who started birth control began taking antidepressants afterward, and 0.3 per cent were diagnosed with depression at a hospital. Basically, about 0.5 per cent of women who began hormonal contraception developed depression who might not have otherwise.” It seems there’s definitely a link between the two, especially for adolescent women, but that doesn’t mean that everyone should jump to conclusions and completely rule out hormonal birth control as a vi-
www.thesheaf.com
able contraceptive method. These findings show we need better writing from our journalists. We need writers that are educated on how to interpret scientific findings and what those findings actually mean for the people involved. Yes, scientific data can be difficult for the layperson to interpret, but isn’t that the job of a journalist — to break down the confusing facts of world events into something that almost anyone can understand? Readers must demand content writers who are more concerned with good journalism than sensationalism and clickbait headlines that generate a lot of Internet traffic. We need to approach the information that’s presented to us critically and skeptically. We need to be asking tough questions, to both our journalists and our healthcare providers. You’re smart and you determine what is best for you and your body.
∙ the sheaf publishing society 13
DISTRACTIONS
COMING EVENTS follow us
©
Judy Mccrosky
campus chat
Where ” “ do you see yourself in five years?
Reading & Signing
Congratulations, new grads!
Lifting Weights Tuesday, October 18, 7 pM
Maria BoehM
“Masters program in the U.S.” Robyn Akre
Reading & Signing
Be sure to visit us at the alumni table at convocation. Apply for your alumni card, learn about your new alumni perks and get your degree framed.
Dating Tom, Dick and Harry Wednesday, October 19, 7 pM
Visit alumni.usask.ca to learn more.
“Hoping I was five years younger.” Jayme Leia
sheaf oct 13, 2016.indd 1
Best job ever.
10/3/2016 4:39:06 PM
“Married.” Gurwinder Thind
“Doing psychedelic therapy.” Brandon Brown
For details and to apply visit: saskatchewanderer.ca/apply Apply by November 7 at noon.
“Still here.” Chris Reinheimer
14 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
oct 13, 2016
PAGE TYPE DISTRACTIONS
Balding professor caves in, shaves head KIRK HALL — Amidst mounting pressure from both society and his mirror, geology professor Merv Donaldson made the decision to throw away his remaining pride and shave his head over the holiday long-weekend. “I figured it’s not like it’s going to get any better,” Donaldson said. “Why not
Three by Phantogram
go all out and really embrace it? Plus, I hear this is the look these days, so I guess I’m a bit of a trendsetter.” The new look has been received with mixed reviews from students. “It’s just kind of sad, I think,” said Brogan Henry. “It’s pretty evident that he thinks this is a game chang-
er, but really, he’s still the same guy up there with the stain on his tie, adjusting the overhead sheets.” Donaldson’s wife, however, views the change positively. “It’s great,” Donaldson said. “He’s just got this new vitality and hope in his eyes. You can tell this really means something to him.”
HARKAVAGRANT.COM
TANNER BAYNE
RESTAURANT & bar
Since their debut album in 2009, Phantogram has been at the forefront of synth-pop artists. However, their new album Three fails to push the genre’s envelope. Although it is a little more upbeat, Three just feels like more of the same for Phantogram. So, if you’re a fan of generic synth-pop, you’re in luck — if not, Three isn’t for you.
Featuring Canadian/American Cuisine, Fusion & Global Flair Specialties
All items are scratch made: appetizers salads sandwhiches gourmet burgers noodle bowls pastas steaks california pizzas and so much more!
Also featuring our own famous delectable desserts Straight-up Saskatchewan Goodness Daily Food & Bar Specials Happy Hour from 2pm Across from campus on Cumberland at College open daily 11am till late
306-956-7777
photo of the week LAURA UNDERWOOD
KATELYN SEILSTAD
oct 13, 2016
www.thesheaf.com
∙ the sheaf publishing society 15
BACKPAGE PAGE TYPE
USSU PRESENTS:
2016 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
TRUMP VS CLINTON OCTOBER 19, 2016
TRICK OR EAT The socially acceptable way for you to Trick or Treat!
October 29, 2016 ussu.ca/events
LOUIS' • 8:00 pm • 19+ Event 16 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com
oct 13, 2016